378
FXUS66 KOTX 162245
AFDOTX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
345 PM PDT Wed Jul 16 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Gradual warming through Friday with high temperatures reaching
  above normal readings in the upper 80s and 90s.

- Dry conditions and gusty winds leading to elevated fire
  weather concerns for portions of central and eastern
  Washington for Friday afternoon and evening.

- Cooling temperatures back into the 80s to low 90s this weekend
  and breezy winds.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
Temperatures will gradually warm back up through the end of the
week. Highs will be above normal Thursday and Friday in the
upper 80s and 90s. Over the weekend temperatures cool back down
into the 80s to low 90s with breezy west winds across most of
the region.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Dry, westerly flow aloft will continue across the Inland
Northwest through early Friday, with daytime temps warming
through the period. A trough and associated frontal passage
later Friday and Friday night will bring isolated chances for
showers and thunderstorms to the extreme northern parts of WA
and ID, with gustier west-southwest winds in central and eastern
WA as well. These winds and continued dry surface conditions
will lead to elevated fire weather concerns and a fire weather
watch has been issued for portions of region Friday afternoon
and evening.

The weekend forecast looks generally dry with daytime temps
cooling back to around seasonal norms. Extended range models
differ a bit on how far south to bring low pressure out of SW
Canada early next week. For now, we are going with afternoon
temps near to slightly below normal, with precip primarily
favored across our northern zones. If models trend this feature
southward over the coming days, precip chances would be likely
to increase and expand farther south. Something to watch in the
coming days. /KD

&&

.AVIATION...
00Z TAFS: VFR conditions under mostly clear skies will continue
through the 24 hr TAF period. A push of northerly winds down
the Okanogan Valley and into the western Columbia Basin is
expected after 06Z tonight and into Thursday. Winds at Omak
Airport will be sustained 12-18 kts with gusts up to around 25
kts by early Thursday morning.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: High confidence
that VFR conditions will continue at all TAF sites. /KD

&&

.Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs...
Spokane        58  91  60  93  63  85 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Coeur d`Alene  57  90  59  92  62  85 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Pullman        52  87  55  89  57  82 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Lewiston       64  97  66  99  66  92 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Colville       49  89  49  91  52  85 /   0   0   0   0  10  10
Sandpoint      52  86  54  89  56  81 /   0   0   0   0  10  10
Kellogg        60  86  63  90  63  80 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Moses Lake     60  94  60  97  62  90 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Wenatchee      67  95  69  96  68  87 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Omak           62  94  62  96  62  90 /   0   0   0   0   0   0

&&

.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Fire Weather Watch from Friday afternoon through Friday
     evening for Eastern Columbia Basin  -Palouse  -Spokane
     Area (Zone 708)-Foothills of Central Washington Cascades
     (Zone 705)-Lower Palouse  -Snake River (Zone 709)-
     Waterville Plateau (Zone 706)-Western Columbia Basin
     (Zone 707).
ID...None.

&&

$$